622 



NA TURE 



assistance of Mr. Hodges and Mr. Percy Smith, the following 

 details were obtained. The tail extended for quite 15° in length" 

 and about 5° in width at its widest part, being slightly curved 

 with the convexity downwards. The lower edge of the tail was 

 very sharp, but the upper edge was gradually shaded off. The 

 nucleus was considerably lengthened out in the direction of the 

 tail to an extent of quite three times its width. Its estimated 

 length was 10". 



On examination with the spectroscope, with the nucleus 

 across the slit, there appeared a narrow continuous spectrum 

 crossed by thiee bands, which I a; once recognised as the usual 

 hydrocarbon lines ; the central one was the brightest, and I could 

 see no other lines but these three. 



5 a.m. October 23, 1882. 



At 5.2 a.m. Greenwich time, the position of the nucleus was 

 determined with the equatorial to be R.A. ioh. 9m. 33s., Dec. 

 16° lS'7", being a mean of two observations. 



I send sketches of the comet, a small star, which I have not 

 identified, appeared in the field of view about 2' 40" from the 

 nucleus as drawn, and if identified may assist to check the posi- 

 tion of the nucleus as given by the circles. 



The morning was exceptionally clear, so much so, that, at 

 dawn, when we could read small print out of doors, 4th magni- 

 tude stars were clearly visible. Geo. M. Seabroke 



Rugby, October 23 



I inclose a drawing made this morning after a prolonged 

 examination (with a binocular) of the end of the comet's tail. 

 Should you think the peculiar features which I have endeavoured 

 to portray of sufficient interest to reproduce, the drawing is at 

 your service. It is difficult to indicate truly features of this 

 kind without exaggeration, if they are to catch the eye at all ; 

 but I am sure the exaggeration is very slight. The tail would 

 seem to be about to end rather suddenly and with a broad end, 

 when, from near the middle, shoots out, at a slight inclination to 

 the general direction of the tail, a cleanly-shaded wisp. And as 

 though this were due to a kind of cleft or parting, there is a cor- 

 responding broader sweeping-aside of the tail-end on the other 

 side. One is at once reminded of the backward fraying of the 

 broad side of a large feather. The effect is a decided enlarge- 



\Oct. 26, 1S82 



ment of the end of the tail on one side, and a well-defined 

 streamer shooting out at a slight inclination towards the other 

 I he direction of the latter is such as to pass quite clear of the 

 nead, which is not a necessary consequence of its inclination, 

 because of the curve which characterises the sharply-defined 

 southern edge of the whole tail. 



It is surely unusual for such decided features to present them- 

 selver at the very end of a comet's tail. 



As a whole, the comet seems to have changed wonderfully 

 little during the three weeks since I first saw it. Its change of 

 place, also, is so moderate that, at this rate, there seems no 

 reason why we should not see it for months yet. What if it 

 should not vanish at all ! J, Herschel 



Collingwood, October 23 



For several mornings past w e have had fine views of the- 

 comet, first seen in England by Mr. A. Common. I inclose a 

 sketch taken this morning, as accurate as I could make it with 

 materials at hand. 



It is chiefly remarkable (1) for the crescentic end of the tail, 

 the lower or eastern horn being longer than the other ; (2) for 

 the distinctness of the shadow in the space beyond the tail, 

 shadow obviously projected by the comet. Such a shadow I 

 have never seen in any of the comets which have been under my 

 observation during the last fifty years, nor do I recollect to have 



The Comet from Can 



seen it described. (Here I have no access to books on the 

 subject.) 



I presume that the propinquity of this comet to the sun is the 

 reason why the shadow is unusually visible in contrast to the 

 luminosity around it ; but probably the peculiar clearness of our 

 atmosphere renders the phenomenon clearer than it may be in 

 England. In any case the appearance is interesting in relation 

 both to the nature of cometary matter, and to that of light and 

 shade in space. C. J. B. Williams 



Villa du Rocher, Cannes, France, October 21 



